Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 10

• (“Despise” can be translated, “Think little of…”) This is a cool thought…that each little one has an angel but we ought not to take this too far. Yes Hebrews 1:14 says that angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation and it does certainly appear here to be the thought of a guardian angel, BUT, 1 Timothy 2:5 says we have One Mediator between God and man and that is the Man, Christ Jesus…and Jesus promised us that He would be with us to the uttermost…and so I only say that so that we ourselves would not pray to angels but directly to the King…now, way cooler than a guardian angel…is this…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verses 11 – 14

• The first part of this chapter has been Jesus dealing with the heart of His disciples, these men that are there with Him…but now He reveals His heart…and I love this…to God, even amongst the multitude of men and women that have ever lived and He has ever known, right now, to Him, because He is who He is, different and other and eternal and infinite and omnipresent…to Him, YOU are everything. To Him, it’s like you’re the only person on earth and the only person that has ever lived…

• You in the room this morning that know Him, is not that exactly how He treats you? God is so with you, man! Even though you and I are a mess and so very stray, He gave all to seek us out and save us…We wouldn’t do this…we’d look at the 99 and rejoice that only 1 is gone…1%, really? It’s all good! Not God! He’s on the move, man…in your marriage, in your day, in your career, in your homes, in your church because He is not willing for even one of us to perish…be lost, be ruined, become useless…all we have to do…is agree with Him. That may look like becoming little; that may look like chopping off some life limbs…but in light of the Kingdom…small price to pay…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 15

• Now this is interesting and almost seems out of context but it is not…Jesus is talking about the necessity to be converted, humble yourself and become little…the servant of all…in order to find and become great in the Kingdom of God…but if you’re walking in humility and service, against your nature, ruling over/controlling your flesh…what’s going to be really easy to see? When others are not doing what they should be doing…, right!? And so Jesus addressed the disciples’ hearts, revealed to them God’s heart and now He’s going to tell them how to deal with the offensive heart that others may sometimes have…
• And so not out of context at all and I just love this…Jesus says if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault…BUT, we would be foolish to think that Jesus is talking about every little wrong that we are wronged with! We have two options. Swallow it and humble ourselves or take it right to their doorstep. Here are options we DO NOT have…gossip, seeking counsel with specifics of sin, retaliation, gripping onto bitterness and holding a grudge, or going out of order…these are simply not options to those who serve the Lord!
• So two options…allow love to suffer long, to be kind, to not seek its own, to not be provoked, to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things…OR…to go and tell him/her their fault between you and them ALONE. Now, Jesus says, “GO and tell,” which means text is not allowed, email is not allowed, phone is not allowed, SOCIAL MEDIA is NOT allowed…if you want God’s result, do it God’s way! I mean following Jesus 101 – Worship 101 – heed the Word of God! Jesus says, “Go to them alone.” Face to face, mano a mano or womano a womano! HA!

• Why? So many practical answers to that question but first and foremost the goal of spiritual discipline is not to cause one person to see their fault but it is to cause two people to reconcile and be restored. To unify!!! Love covers a multitude of sin, man! And when you are face to face, you see the look in their eyes…(their body close to me! HA!) No…HA! You see their surprise at what they’ve done because most of the time they have no idea, it was never meant to hurt…and peace happens immediately! More than peace…unity!!! Friendship…the intimacy of a secret, man!!! Go to them alone!!!

• And notice this! This will make your flesh crazy! Look at what Jesus says is the goal! “If he bows down to you! If he apologizes to you. If he grovels at your feet…then squash it!” NOPE! If he “hears” you! That’s the goal…why? Because the implication here is that this is a brother or a sister in the Lord…and God said in Romans 12, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” and so you tell them their fault and if they hear you then you have caused them GREAT GAIN…AS LONG AS YOU DON’T PLAY GOD! And expect to be avenged…Leave them to the Holy Spirit…you WILL indeed have your brother or sister back…your flesh just hates that doesn’t it!!!

• But, if they won’t hear…, “Not my fault. Shut up. I only did that because you did such and such…I don’t agree with you…how dare you…and so on…” But look, you don’t go immediately to step 2…wait a few days, give it a week. Remember to give room to God…but, if after time, things are worsening…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 16

• You know you’re not perfect, right? And if you’re not perfect then is your side of the story, perfect? Nope. And if your side of the story is not perfect then is it right? To be honest (TBH), no…it’s flavored, tainted with your emotions…so the Lord in His wisdom says, go and get a spiritually mature brother or sister to hear your side and their side and work with y’all to work it out…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 17

• So the full course of spiritual discipline…go to them alone. No love and unity…go with another…no love an unity…escalate it to church leadership…if church leadership brings correction and the offender refuses to submit to the authority of the church…at that point, break fellowship. Now, are heathen’s and tax collectors welcome in church? YES! BUT, typically the conflict, the lack of humility, spreads like cancer…sin begets sin…and so typically, if it goes to this level, it ends with a person being asked to leave the church…and what’s interesting is that Jesus, God Himself, stands behind the church’s actions…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 18

• So in context, Jesus says that if you have done things His way…and then you exercise judgment on conduct in the church or if you exercise grace, it is confirmed in heaven but I also look at this statement in context and relation to the offender…if you bind them in your heart and life here…heaven knows man…and vengeance is still Mine says the Lord…but if you loose them in your heart and life here, great is your reward in heaven…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 19 - 20

• Deuteronomy 32:30 says, “One chases a thousand, but two put then thousand to flight.” Spurgeon said, “How soon the gate of mercy opens when two are knocking!” When two folks, filled with the Holy Spirit, symphonize - the song is sweet, full of grace and truth, listen up…because Jesus is their Conductor…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 21

• Now Peter may have felt extremely spiritual right then. Predominant teaching of the Rabbis at this time is that you forgive 3 times, but on the 4^th…let them have it! Peter says, “Thank you for the lesson on confrontational conflict resolution…how about forgiveness, the other option…up to seven times…?”

Matthew Chapter 18 Verse 22

• I bet the disciples pulled out their smart phones and started crunching numbers! 70 times 7! They would have been floored! Is Jesus saying keep a tally? No He is hinting at the coming heart of born-again, spirit-filled, new-covenant Christians…that the heart God will give you will love to forgive, love to serve, and look for ANY way, rhyme or reason to loose them in your heart and life…Jesus put this on display on the cross…you think you’ve offended God less than 70 times 7? I do that in less than a year I’m sure!!! And now the perfect illustration of grace and truth…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verses 23 – 28

• Now in comparison to ten thousand talents (somewhere between $12M and $1B in today’s value), a hundred denarii is about 1/600,000 that…Spurgeon nailed this point. He said, “Our little claims against our fellow men…” in comparison to our own mess…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verses 29 – 31

• See how it is his fellow servants that saw and were grieved…bringing back in the lesson that Jesus had just concluded…

Matthew Chapter 18 Verses 32 – 35

• This is the amazing thing, in light of all that we have been forgiven, exercise your wise and eternally fair option to give grace…besides…so much has been extended to you…